Kendra Strong-Garcia and her kids
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Program: Indigenous Community-Based Master of Education Education: Gabriel Dumont College |
“Every class I’m taking, I’ve immediately applied to my work in one way or another. People within our institution have also learned more about my knowledge, expertise, and my ethnicity, and how I am connected to my culture, which you might not be able to tell from looking at me. This has led to being invited to certain committees or decision-making tables that utilize my Indigenous knowledge and experience from the program.”
Kendra Strong Garcia, M.Ed. Graduate 2025
Indigenous Community Based Master of Education Graduate
On July 25, 2025, Kendra Strong-Garcia graduated from the Indigenous Community-Based Master of Education program in P.A. Reflecting on her greatest success as a student, Kendra shared, “It might seem a little sappy, but it was having Myan in [SUNTEP].” Kendra agreed to sit down for a success story interview ahead of graduation with two of her children, Myan and Edyn Strong-Garcia, who are currently enrolled at her alma mater, SUNTEP Regina. All three Strong-Garcias are based on Treaty 4 Territory, although their family ties are to Batoche, Meadow Lake, and Duck Lake. They each came to SUNTEP for their own reasons, and they are able to lean on each other for support as they advance their education and contribute to their family’s success in their own ways.
“It’s cool being able to see my brother at school,” Edyn shared, and Myan jumped in, “Sometimes we’ll do collaborative projects between year ones and year threes, and so we did that in the previous semester, and it was really cool to get to work with Edyn.” The two siblings live apart, but they see each other nearly every day at school. Edyn is entering her second year of studies in the fall, and Myan is entering his fourth and final year at SUNTEP Regina. Myan has a passion for history and research, and he is on the path to graduate with Great Distinction next year. Edyn is a gregarious and bubbly young woman who is just starting to explore the Métis side of her identity, and she loves storytelling and connecting with Old Ones through SUNTEP. The pair has a great sense of humor that they attribute to helping them get through the stress of school.
This may be Myan’s fourth year as a student at SUNTEP, but it is not the first time he’s been part of the SUNTEP community. Kendra had Myan in the middle of her second year of studies. “I actually thought I was going into labour when we were in Winnipeg”, Kendra laughed, “He wasn’t born until a month later on Louis Riel Day.” Kendra’s teachers encouraged her to bring him to class so she wouldn’t miss out on her education. She would hold Myan in her lap during lectures or pass him around to other students and faculty to hold so she could write her finals. “I already had Avery, who was 6 at the time, so balancing those two kids and being a single mom,” Kendra smiled, “at the time I didn’t know, but looking back it’s a great accomplishment.” The support of the SUNTEP faculty made such an impression on Kendra that she knew it would be a great fit for her kids when they were looking to go to university.
Myan didn’t have the grades to get into the University of Regina Faculty of Education when he first applied out of high school, so he went to work for a while and gained some experience. He knew he wanted to go back to university, so he was encouraged by his mom’s experience to apply to SUNTEP as a mature student. In the admission interview, he felt like the SUNTEP staff saw that he could be successful in the program, which boosted his confidence and encouraged him to really apply himself to his studies. His hard work has been noticed by his peers. Last semester, Myan was placed in a classroom of 60 students as part of pre-internship training. The class was two grades that had been combined into one class in the library, and he was teaching with two other University of Regina Education students from the main program. Myan shared that the other teaching students were impressed by his level of preparation and calm thrown into the deep end. Myan said they asked things like, “How did you come in here with all these things prepared? Where did you learn about different assessment methods and how to stay on top of a bunch of things that they hadn’t been prepared for.” Only in his third year, Myan already possesses the self-assurance and quiet confidence of a great teacher. A remarkable change from where he started.
Edyn wasn’t interested in becoming a teacher at first, but she heard from her mom and her brother about what a great experience SUNTEP was and that encouraged her to apply. In high school, Edyn struggled to attend classes regularly because it felt like it didn’t matter, but she had to quickly adjust because at SUNTEP, the teachers held high expectations for student attendance and performance. Edyn shared that after the difficulty adjusting to these expectations, she found that “holding me accountable made me a very good student, and I actually like being [in class] and that’s a big success for me.” Her newfound discipline has led to better grades than she has ever received, and she is excited about going to class and being part of a committed learning community.
Myan and Edyn said that the support they needed was different than their mom because they weren’t in the same circumstances, but they have each felt the benefits of a community-based education model. Kendra benefited from the financial support to be able to take a tuition-free program, as a single mother, which made the difference between her obtaining a university degree or not. Myan said he has found a deeper connection to his Métis roots and is proud of his family’s history. Edyn said that the high academic expectations helped motivate her to succeed.
Kendra completed her Master’s capstone project on Indigenous Recruitment, which fits with her role as Director of Student Experience and Learning Services at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. She says she was motivated to go back to school to keep growing in her career, and also to show her kids that lifelong learning is always possible. Kendra’s eyes light up when she speaks about her children, and she has the same warmth in her expression when speaking of her SUNTEP cohort. “It makes me feel really safe knowing that my kids are going [to SUNTEP Regina],” Kendra said, “There are people that I know and went to school with that are there working alongside them and educating them.” The family ties in the program are not only a metaphor for how close the learning community is, but also a reflection of the many Métis families who continue to choose SUNTEP to claim their education for generations.
